


Homeless

by Pandagirl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-04-04 12:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 4,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14020401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandagirl/pseuds/Pandagirl
Summary: Post episode 9 with a redeemed Ben Solo returning to the known galaxy, bringing news of a new danger.





	1. Coming Home

Another celebration on another strange world. Fires ring the edge of the party lighting the twilight. Rey leans against the column drinking in the ease of everyone talking, laughing, and dancing. 

A flash of dark eyes, Ben. 

Her head whips around searching. Then I feel you right behind me, a shadow. 

She steps back, leaning into his presence. 

“Rey,” the word a sigh, soft and sad.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing, just watching you watch them.” Your voice a breeze on the nape of my neck.

“I wish you could be with us, this wouldn't be like this if it wasn't for you. What you did,”

“I'm also responsible for so much, the celebration is for the real heroes, like you and Finn, Rose, Poe,”

“You should be here too,” she whispered a little too loudly. That gets a small sigh.

“Still so stubborn. No matter what I do now, it doesn't make up for the past. I know that,”

Rey turns walking away from the party finding some quiet corner. He follows, his face covered in his cowl.

“I still wish….you could be here.” She reaches up to the side of his face. He leans into it, she can almost feel the weight of it, the warmth. Running her thumb along the edge of the scar she gave him so long ago.

His mouth opens then tightens, like it does when he's struggling. 

“Ben, where are you?” she blurts out before he works out his words.

“Why?”

“Because I'm coming home.”

“Don’t,”

“Why not?” 

A smile teases the edge of his lips. 

“Because I'm here, Rey.” 

“What? How?” she glances around to see if anybody else can see him catching Poe’s eye.  
He looks at me, then glances at Ben's back a question on his face. He can see him! 

“Rey, I'm here.” he repeats softly, ducking his head to meet her eyes. 

“You’re here,” is echoed back breathlessly. 

He stiffens, draws himself back up to his full height

*Perhaps you should go get my mother, General Dameron. We need to talk,” he says louder than before.


	2. Chapter 2

“Why are you here?” Poe demands. 

“Because something's coming, now where is my mother?” he responds, his tone darkening.

“She not here, come on, let's go to the Falcon we can reach her there,” Rey offers.

“Poe, go get Finn,” 

A brief nod and the pilot takes off jogging back leaving Rey and Ben walking towards the port.

“So this isn't just for me?” 

“Rey, you know I am glad to see you, really see you,” 

The back of his hand brushes against hers, lighting the same small fire in Rey. Their connection has grown stronger over the years but being together is different.

“Ben, I know. But what did bring you back?” 

He hesitates at the ramp to the Falcon.

“Come on, it's been a long time,” Rey encourages him up. 

“Yes, yea it has,” he agrees. 

Together they head up. Inside he leads to the cockpit and sits picking the copilot chair instead of his father's.

A hologram pops up.

“Ben,” 

“What's going on? Why is he here?” Finn bursts in with Poe, carrying a sleeping Paige.

“I'm here because I have something I need to show all of you, is this line encrypted?”

“Of course, go ahead,” Leia encourages, her small form leaning in.

“I was in the Unknown Regions when I ran into this,” he says pulling up a diagram of a strange ship. 

“That's a ship?” Finn questions.

“It looks….alive,” Rey murmurs lowly.

“You're not far off, it's some kind of organic hybrid. But it was carrying people inside,”

“What kind of people?” 

“I don't know. Rey, they didn't have any life signs,”

“Ky- Ben then how do you know they were people?” Poe interjects.

“I went and looked. Saw a port so I pulled up, I thought it would be empty. It was not, I took some holos and tried to leave,”

“Tried? What happened Ben?” Leia chimes in. Her concern softens Ben’s face.

“I had to blast my way out, but even my Silencer barely made a dent,” 

“You think they're a threat?” 

“Yes,”

“From one ship?” Finn asks. 

“That one ship did this,” he responses while flipping between holos of ship wreckage, “no survivors.”


	3. Chapter 3

“We’ve got to stop it before it does more damage,” Poe states, stepping closer to inspect the holos.

“I'm worried about what it means ...a ship that's unlike anything recorded before coming from an uncharted sector of the galaxy. Rey and Poe you should take the Falcon and intercept,” Leia shifts from concerned to business mode.

“I'll head out with Rose, gather the advance fleet just in case,” Finn suggests.

“That's a good idea, Finn,” Leia responds. With a tense nod, Finn ducks out the crowded cockpit. 

“Poe, can you give us a minute?” Leia asks gently. 

“Yea, I'll go...make sure we enough supplies,” he mutters and ducks out after Finn. 

“Ben, are you okay? I've missed you,” 

“I'm sorry Mom. I've been out of contact for too long, I know. It's just hard,” he apologizes, swallowing the harDer words. Leia smiles, happy to have the chance to even see her son again.

“I know, I just wish I was there to see you in person,” she responds quickly. 

“I have to go with them.”

“I know. I was going to suggest that. Something's really wrong here Ben, I can feel it. Please, be careful, all of you. Contact me as soon as you find anything,” 

“We will Leia,” Rey promises.

“May the force be with you both,” she recites the old Jedi prayer then her holo disappears leaving Rey and Ben alone in the grimy cockpit. 

“Rey-”

“Come in the Falcon,” Rey interrupts. 

“I was going to take my own ship,” Ben says what Rey expected him to. Their bond had never allowed for many secrets, even less now they were together again. She hoped she could convince him to fly with her again.

“Enough though you know the Falcon is faster?” she baited.


	4. Chapter 4

Confident in her victory Rey hurries out of the cockpit, eager to take off.

“Ben’s coming with us. Do we have enough supplies to get us to the ship?” Rey asks bursting into the common room where Poe waited.

“No, we’ll have to stop and refuel in the Outer Rim. And he’s what now? Is that a good idea?” Poe asks, roughly jerking up from his lounging position at the table.

“Yes.” 

“Rey, I know what he did that day but it doesn't change everything. And if this goes south, wouldn't it be better to have our own ship?” 

“If things go wrong I want him with us. I trust him, and you should too,” Rey tries to reason with Poe. He’d be a good one to help convince Ben to stay.

“That doesn't come easy,” he retorts with a head shake, raking his hand through his dark hair.

“We’ve had too much war, it's hard to shake. I understand,” she says calmly, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It is for him too. We need to put that aside and focus on the future and our current problems.” 

A soft sigh. Slightly reluctant but Rey can work with that.

“And yet here we go, off to find some more. Two Generals and an ex-Supreme Leader. It’ll be great,”

“That’s the spirit, General. We’re taking off in fifteen, we’ll stop here and rendezvous with Finn,” Rey gestures to a map laid out in front of Poe. 

“Sounds good….let’s let him know when and where…..do we need…..

Their voices continue to mingle but Ben heads back to the cockpit, out of hearing range. But he can still feel Rey, warm, bright, and full of hope. And something in himself, rare even these days, happiness.


	5. Chapter 5

“Are you ready?” Rey asks. She's slides in next to him, to the captain’s seat, her hands moving through the familiar startup patterns.

“Yes, I've already programmed the navicomputer. She’s all ready to go,” he replies, as the Falcon leaves the planet. His voice soft and sincere, “Does he want to copilot? I can go…”

“No, stay please. I want you to fly with me.” 

He nods in response, spinning his chair to face Rey.

“What if there's another war, Ben?” Rey asks, eyes on the control panel, hands resting in the levers.

“Then we fight, again,” he states.

“Will you stay?” Rey asks him, tilting her head a little to meet his eyes

“You know I'll always stand with you,” he promises, gently reaching out towards her hand. 

“Ben, why did you…” Rey starts but Poe barrels into the small space. Ben drops his hand back to his lap, his fist clenched.

“How's it going up here?” he interrupts settling into a chair. 

“Fine,” Ben curtly answers. 

“It’ll be a little while before we reach Bespin,” Rey offers, trying to break his tension.

“Bespin? We’re stopping there?” 

“Yea, to refuel. Why?” 

“My family got a lot history there.”

“Where don't they?” Poe chuckles.

“This is where my grandfather told Luke that he was his father and then cut off his hand,” Ben explains, his voice thick with emotion.

“So...that is a lot of history,” he scratches the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. The motion reminds Ben of his father, the thought brings up a familiar ache.

“Yes it is,” Ben takes a deep breath, trying to relax his hands. Rey leans over, covering his with hers. Their connection strengthened by the touch hummed alive with electricity. He laces her fingers with hers, eyes locked. “But it's just a place. I used to always want to see the city in the clouds Lando talked about.”


	6. Chapter 6

The Falcon dips in among the clouds, descending into the misty landing ramp. The trio soon spills onto the busy platform. 

“Will Lando be here?” Rey asks Ben as they head up the platform.

“I don't know, I've only seen him once since,” he doesn't finish the sentence. 

“So you don't keep on contact with anyone,” Poe lightly teases. It gets a tight smile from Ben. 

“Come on, let's grab some supplies then head out,” Rey chimes in. They follow her through the marketplace, picking up what they need. 

Finally they head back to the platform. Rey and Poe load the supplies onto the Falcon. She realizes Ben is gone. 

Ben, she reaches out through their bond, are you alright? 

_Yes, I think so. I'm fine, I just thought I heard something….something familiar._

_Where are you?_

_I'm not sure, a hallway. I think…_

The bond slams shut violently.

“Ben!” Rey cries out.

“What's going on?” Poe shouts running out of the Falcon, blaster raised.

“I don't know, Bens hurt or something,” Rey answers heading back to the market. “We have to find him!”

Poe runs after her, grabbing her arm. 

“Okay slow down, this is a huge station. Do you know he is?”

“A hallway, i-- I know that hallway. I’ve seen it before. I know where he is,” Rey realizes and heads confidently to the lower levels, Poe trailing behind her. Left, right, down winding tunnels. Following Ben’s faint signature and her memory from her vision they move into the bowels of Bespin. 

Finally they reach the right hallway, Ben’s body is on the floor. 

“Ben, Ben wake up,” she calls dropping down to him. He stirs a little, groggy. 

“I'm okay,” he grumbles, trying and failing to stand up. 

“Here, let us help you,” Poe offers and shoulders a lot of his weight. Together with Rey, they get him standing. 

“Let's get you back to the Falcon,” Rey says, concerned with what brought Ben down here. 

“I saw, I saw Vader and Luke here,” Ben mumbles, “and Padme. I saw everything.”


	7. Ashes of Eden

And promptly passes out again, dropping his weight into their arms. 

“Damn, he’s heavy,” Poe grunts under their burden as they carry him slowly back to the ship. 

Stay with me, stay with me, Rey repeats internally at him as they finally make it up the ramp of the Falcon. _Why can't I hear you? Why can't I feel you? ___

____

__

“Put him on the bed,” is all Rey says out loud.  
“Should we take off or do you want to wait? Finn should almost be at the meeting point,” Poe asks her.

“Let’s go, if he’s not awake when we reach the rendezvous then they’ll have a medical droid,” Rey says, but doesn't get up from her kneeling position leaning on the bedside. 

“I'll get her up in the air,” Poe says. 

“Thank you,” she responds, not taking her eyes off of Ben. Poe charges ahead to the cockpit with his usual confidence. A moment later Rey can feel the liftoff. 

Take my hand. Ben's voice rings in her ears. 

Ben! She reaches up, and grasps his hand. She feels a pull in the force but can not reach him again. She lowers her head to his hand.

_Rey? His voice gasps in the dark._

Images begin to flood his mind. 

_Do you see? A strange voice asks._

It was Rey and him and them not them. It was a wedding on Naboo, fighting together across the stars, in the throne room, in the arena and on Starkiller. Flashes back and forth. 

Him, all in black comforting Rey across the galaxy.

A girl, dressed in fire comforting a small boy on a silver ship.

A terrace, sunset falls behind a couple. The woman adorned in white lace, clasping hands with him, his grandfather.

Whispers surround him, drag him down through the floor. He's shrouded in darkness and fear. 

Fear of loss. Selfishness. Greed. Love.

Fear reigns him, slipping ropes around his body till he can't move, can't breathe. Still he fights.

Rey’s breath catches, struggling through the dark flowing out of Ben. 

The woman, on a balcony now with a mass of dark curls, pregnant, tears silently falling down her face.The sky is on fire. Anakin is pulled farther away, still struggling, killing everything on his path back to the woman, to Padme, burning down their world. 

He’s caught in the fire, his own fire. He falls, burned and struggling to get back to her. His limbs crumble into ash. He screams at her, the man he was gone, now tearing at her throat with the force, as the woman clutches her stomach. 

She falls, into an ocean of blue covered with white flowers. From her, twins rise up and put out the burning sky.

_Luke, Mother._

And from the ashes of Anakin rises Darth Vader. A figure of shadow and terror. Vader turns and suddenly stares down Ben. 

Ben, he calls to him, his armor falling away to reveal an old man, tired and sad, with a scar like his own. 

_Do you see?_

Anakin asks again. _This is my legacy, failure. Don't fail her. Don't lose her. Everything depends on it, everything._


	8. Chapter 8

“We’re here,” Poe wakes Rey up gently, rocking her shoulder. She drops her grip on his hands and rubs her eyes. 

“How long have I been out?” she groans getting up off the floor, shaking out her painfully stiff legs.

“A while, I didn't want to wake you. Figure you could use the rest,” he shrugs. “He ever wake up?” 

“No, is Finn and the fleet here yet?” 

“Just pulled up. We’re already docked,” he responds. 

“Good, let's get the medical droid over here.”

“Already on his way, Finn’s coming too.” 

“Good,” she sighs, stretching out her arms.

“Glad to hear I was missed,” Finn chimes in with a smile appearing in front of a droid. He lets him through to Ben. Rey smiles warmly back, going in for a hug. 

“How is he doing? Poe told me last night,” Finn asks when she lets him go. 

“He’s still unconscious, I'm hoping the droid can give us some answers,” Rey says looking back at Ben. 

“I'm sure he will,” Finn reassures her. 

“Your guys ready? We should intercept the ship in just a little bit,” Poe asks, changing the subject. 

“Yea, we’ve got a squadron of x-wings in formation now if the Falcon wants to join in,” he says. 

“She definitely does,” Poe insists. The two head out of the room to detach from the cruiser. Rey lingers in the doorway for a moment, watching the droid scan his still form. Reluctantly she leaves him. 

_I'll be back, I promise_

Still only silence from him.

“Unknown ship is coming up now, all fighters in position,” Finn let's her know when she reaches the cockpit. 

“Scanning for life signs now,” Rose’s voice from the comms alerts them. 

“No life signs, Finn,” she calls in again. 

“Okay, we’re going to go in and take a look then. Stay tight,” Finn responds. 

 

Back in the bay, the medical droid is finishing his scan. 

_Rey, why can't I hear you?_

_Do you see yet? ___

The voice of Anakin asks again and again.

_Yes. How do I get out of here? ___

They sit on nothing in a void of darkness. 

_You have to see._

_I do. Now I have to get back. ___

His irritation starts to flare now. 

_What do you see?_

_I saw...I saw what I should do, who I have to be, and what I have to let go. ___

He answers reluctantly.

_You don't know if you can._

_I...no I don't. I dont..I don't know I can._

 

_Ben, we’re going aboard the alien ship. I'll be back, please wake up. ___

__Rey’s voice trickles faintly into the darkness._ _


	9. Chapter 9

“I got a bad feeling about this,” Finn mumbles to himself as they fan out into the open hangar of the ship. 

The hangar is empty, except for their transport. 

“Look at these walls,” Rey calls out to Finn reaching out to touch reddish brown walls.

“Like scales or leather maybe,” Finn responds confused. 

Rey makes contact with the wall, it shudders then peels back opening to a tunnel.

“What the?” she exclaims pulling back her hand. 

Finn and the troopers all shout with her when the opening snaps shut again. 

“What was that?” Finn asks, coming up beside Rey. 

“A doorway, I think.” She stretches her hand back out. The opening appears again. “Well let's go check it out.” 

“You two, stay here. The rest of you are with us,” Finn directs the troopers then leads the way down the tunnel. 

Together they march down the dark hall, blasters up. 

 

_Why won't you let me out of here?_

Ben snarls at the form of his grandfather, pacing in the darkness. 

_They need my help._ _Do they? Are you so sure of what this ship means? It could be a rogue. It could be nothing._

 

The hallway seems to go on forever, and with no visible crosspaths. 

“Ben said there was people of some kind on this ship right?” Finn asks, breaking the silence. 

“Yea, but I can't feel anything besides us,” Rey whispers. 

 

_It’s not nothing. ___

__Ben argues._ _

____

____

_How do you know? Why are you so sure?_

_Because I saw them. And they don't understand. I was going to tell them._

The group reaches a wall.

“Wait! No, there's something,” Rey starts, holding Finn’s hand back. “To the left, be ready,” she warns letting him go. 

He nods, then opens the wall.

_Rey, No!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just learned how to italicize on here/realized the force bond conversations where not italicized like they should have been, I'm sorry about that. I'm going to go back and edit all the chapters.


	11. Chapter 11

“What is that?” Finn yells, seeing the strange form on the far left wall of the chamber. 

“I don't know…” Rey answers slowly, lowering her blaster and walks towards it. It feels like the rest of the ship again, a void.

The strange being seems a part of the wall, with limbs all around blending and twisting into the wall and the floor in front of it. 

“Rey, probably shouldn't get too close,” Finn cautions.

“I'm not, just want a closer look,” Rey says, turning back with a smile. 

_Ben, did you see this when you were here? Why can't I get a read on this thing?_

Rey found herself asks him, although he hadn't said anything in his coma. 

“I can't feel anything, I did for a moment but then it disappeared Let me try something,” 

She takes another step towards it, then extends her hand at the head. Closing her eyes she reaches out in the force, outstretching her fingers like he taught her.

A wall met her, stronger than any she encountered before, blocking it's mind so thoroughly that she can't even pick up its existence in the force. 

_Run ___

a strange voice orders Rey. 

“We should go, find a control room,” Rey warns, dropping her hand and turning to leave the room. 

Finn and the troopers follow. She leads them back to the hangar bay at a light run. 

“Why are we running?” Finn asks, keeping pace. 

“I picked up your bad feeling,” Rey tosses back, trying to disguise her unease. 

They reach the hangar bay. 

“Wait, where's Kia and Lex?” Finn asks looking around the empty room. 

“This isn't good.” a trooper murmurs.

“Should we leave?” another one of the troopers asks. 

“No, we have to find them first,” Finn argues. 

“I want to stop this ship, without blowing it up if i can, come on,” Rey says, looking for another hallway. 

“Everyone stay close,” Finn instructs as they follow Rey down another hallway. “And keep your eyes open for Kia and Lex, maybe they just to look around.” 

 

_What did you see? ___

The shadow of Anakin asks Ben again. 

_I saw what they did to the survivors, what they turned them into._

 

The end of the fourth hallway had the same thing as all the others, an empty room with a strange being grafted into the wall staring at them with vacant eyes. 

The end of the fifth was worse.


	12. Chapter 12

“Holy….” Rey starts.

“No,” Finn says, horrified by the scene in front of them. 

The walls are covered with eyes and fractions of limbs and joints. And on the floor lay their missing crew. Thick brown tendrils reached around them, creeping up to swallow and rip apart and into their limbs. Their eyes open but empty. 

“Who’s doing this?” Finn asks, crouching down to close their eyes.

“I think the ship is, Finn. Ben said it was an organic hybrid,” Rey says, realizing the dark truth, “It's taking them apart. It’s using them. I won't let them.”

She ignites her saber, lighting up with room with a warm green light. Then set to work slowly extricating the bodies from the tough encasement. 

“Did Ben know about this?” Finn asks Rey, pacing agitated. “This would've been useful to know.”

“I don't know,” Rey answers through gritted teeth. “And I think I've changed my mind about blowing up this ship.” 

“But if the ship, all those eyes, are people how do we help them Rey?”

“I don't know! I don't - I don't think we can help them. I can't even feel them, they aren't there anymore. There's nothing,” Rey rants as she finally frees the bodies. She whips up in anger. All these people.   
She finds herself pacing, mirroring Finn. 

“Rey, Rey, hey, it's okay,” Finn grabs her arms, steadying her. 

“We have to blow it up. We can't let these people continue to be weapons,” Rey explains, shaking her head. 

“Okay, let's get everybody off,” he tells her. “Help me carry them,” he gently orders the crewman. Together they carry them back down the hallway and back to their shuttle. 

“What are you doing Rey?” Finn ask when he sees her going around the bay pressing her hands against the walls. 

“Making sure there's no more doors, that we didn't miss anything,” she explains. Finally making it all the way around she gives up, dropping her hands. She reluctantly gets in the shuttle. 

“They died. And we got nothing. Just a ship that cannibalizes people, no answers,” Rey whispers, fighting back tears. 

“No, but we do have more problems,” Finn nearly shouts pulling her out of her reverie. He whips the shuttle around, and out of the side port she sees them. 

Ships, a fleet of brown monstrosities dropping out of hyperspace. 

“Guys, you see them right?” Poe’s voice crackles over the comm. “What’s the plan?”


	13. Chapter 13

“Make a stand. Poe, take the fighters in. We’ll dock on one of the cruisers,” Finn responds quickly and takes charge. 

“You got it,” he replies, eager as always. “Let's roll!” Poe calls out over the comms as x-wings roll out of cruisers. 

“Don't worry, Rey. I dropped Ben off on the Wren while we waiting. The droid said it was okay to move him.”

“Okay, good,” is all Rey says. 

They speed out to meet the fleet. The enemy's fleet did nothing except creep ever forward. 

“No fighters,” Rey murmurs. 

“Cannons though,” Finn says as they dock onboard the Bridger.

The x-wings reach the fleet, dodging cannon blasts. Bombs begin to fall lighting up the sky. 

Fiery holes are blasted into their hulls. They press on. More bombs are launched. Rey can see ships beginning to fall as she and Finn arrive on the bridge.

“Why aren't they doing anything? They aren't evading or even turning their cannons at us,” Poe asks from the Falcon. 

“They just keep going forward,” Rey realizes. What's their goal? “Keep going Poe,” she orders. 

_Is this the right way? ___

____

She asks Ben, forgetting for a moment that he can't answer. 

“Get me Leia,” she asks the ship computer. 

_Do you see?_

_I see you keeping me here! How do I get back?_

_Don't you see? ___

The figure repeats for what feels like the hundredth time.

_I saw! I saw it all! Now I need to go back!_

_You don't see. If you truly saw you would not say that. ___

The figure intones, stoic as ever. 

Ben paces in the darkness, anger starting to roll off of him. 

_Look._

_Mother ___

Ben says, stunned at the reappearance of Leia. Are you alright? he asks. 

_Ben? What is this? What's going on? ___

she asks leaning heavily on her cane. 

Her cane dissolves then so does she as she falls. Ben drops to his knees to catch her but is left with blackness. He falls back palms open and empty. 

_I just need to wake up. Rey, hear me. Rey. Rey. ___

He chants her name, focusing on the light of her. Imagining the light surrounding her, drawing her closer and closer till the white glow and Rey is all he can see. 

_Rey, hear me. Please._

__Ben! ____

Rey shouts as her vision goes to black, except for the image of him sitting. 

_Rey ___

he sighs. 

_Are you okay? ___

she asks, moving towards him reaching out her hand to help him up. 

_Yes, I think- ___

his voice is cut off at the contact of their hands. 

_Ben?! ___

Rey shouts as the vision fades. 

_Rey! Rey, it's okay. I'm awake, I think. Am I in a medbay?_

_Yes you are! Hold on I'll be right there!_

“Hey, where are you going?” Finn calls out as Rey flees from the bridge.

“He's awake! I'll be right back!” Rey shouts back. She flies down the halls till she reaches the medbay. Out of breath, she leans on the doorframe. 

“Hey there,” he says lightly, sitting up on the edge of the exam table. 

_“Miss me?”_


	14. Chapter 14

“Miss you? Are you alright?” Rey asks, unsure if she wants to hug or hit him. 

“I'm okay, feel a little like I've been hit by a small cruiser but you know,” he says forcing a smile through the pain. 

“Easy,” Rey tells him rushing forward taking some of his weight on her shoulders. Together he can stand. 

“What ship are we on?” 

“The Wren, with the fleet. We’re engaging with a small battalion. Do you want to see?” 

“Yes,” he answers. With his arm slung across her shoulders for support they stumble out of the medbay. “Is my mother here?”

“No, but I was just about to talk to her when you woke up. Ben, we went aboard the scout ship or whatever it was,” Rey starts.

“You saw the people, the walls,” he interrupts her, remembering those eyes and the warning.

“Yes. Who would do something like that? Who even could?” Rey asks as they exit the turbo lift back to the bridge.

“I don't know, I didn't see anything like that in the Order or while I've been away.”

“You could've warned me.”

“I was going to once we got here, I just didn't know to put it, I'm sorry Rey,” he says sincerely.

“It's okay, this whole thing has been…” Rey trails off uncertain. 

“Hey, look who’s up?” Finn calls out when he sees the pair. 

“And better than ever,” Ben says, making an effort to stand on his own while keeping his arm on Rey. 

“Well, you missed the whole thing. We’ve disabled the last ship,” Finn informs them, eyeing the pair.

“None of them changed course?” Rey asks, still holding on to Ben. 

“No, they ignored all our communications. They kept firing and flying in a straight line,” he says, shaking his head. 

“Who are these guys?” Poe asks from the Falcon.

“All we know is that they’re using the people to control the ship, to be the parts of the ships,” Rey says hopelessly.

“And that they dropped in a fleet from nowhere,” Rey adds.

“They came from somewhere,” Ben argues.

_Will you help me to that chair?_

__Ben asks silently. Rey nods and guides him to a seat._ _

____

____

“We’ll find out where,” Ben insists. 

“Did Leia answer our holos yet?” Rey asks Finn quietly.

“Not yet, which is unusual.” 

“Try her again,” Ben demands suddenly.

_Ben, what is it?_

_I think something's wrong._

Finn nods, tense from Kylo's sudden mood change, and moves back to the comm station. Silence falls over the bridge as the calls to Leia go unanswered. 

“Where is she?” 

“Dantooine, she-” 

_I'm going to her._


End file.
